Max Heart Rate Calculator
Maximum heart rate can be measured in a supervised exercise test or estimated from age. This page shows three published age formulas and training zones from the Tanaka estimate. Any individual can differ from the estimate by 10 beats per minute or more.
Before you start
Method : Published age formulas (Tanaka 2001, Fox, Gulati 2010) and the Karvonen zone method.
Validation : Arithmetic tested against hand-worked examples. The formulas are population averages; individual error of ±10 bpm or more is common.
Review : not reviewed by a qualified clinician. Educational only — not a diagnosis or a medical test.
Not for children, or if you take beta-blockers or have a heart condition. Stop exercising and get help if you have chest pain, faintness or severe breathlessness.
Your answers stay in this browser tab; nothing is sent or stored.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your age (18–90).
- Optionally add your resting heart rate, taken sitting quietly in the morning, for Karvonen zones.
- Press Calculate.
Methodology & assumptions
- Tanaka: max HR = 208 − 0.7 × age (meta-analysis of 351 studies plus a lab study of healthy adults).
- Fox ("220 − age"): traditional rule of thumb.
- Gulati: max HR = 206 − 0.88 × age (women 35+).
Zones use the Tanaka estimate. Without resting heart rate: % of max. With it: Karvonen, resting + (max − resting) × %. Values are rounded to whole beats.
Worked examples
Age 40, no resting rate: Tanaka 208 − 28 = 180; 220 − 40 = 180; Gulati 206 − 35.2 = 171. Zone 3 = 70–80% of 180 = 126–144.
Age 40, resting 60: reserve 180 − 60 = 120. Zone 3 = 60 + 0.7 × 120 to 60 + 0.8 × 120 = 144–156.
Understanding your result
Use the result as a starting point, then adjust by how hard the effort feels. Results above age 81 are outside the range Tanaka studied. Zone names describe effort; claims such as a "fat-burning zone" were removed because zone choice doesn't decide fat loss.
Sources & further reading
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37(1):153-156.
- Gulati M, et al. Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women: the St. James Women Take Heart Project. Circulation 2010;122(2):130-137.
- Karvonen MJ, Kentala E, Mustala O. The effects of training on heart rate; a longitudinal study. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn 1957;35(3):307-315.
Frequently Asked Questions
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